Described herein are sensor elements for detecting the presence of organic materials comprising a boron doped n-type semiconductor material with decrease in resistivity upon organic materials exposure with increase in resistivity upon organic materials exposure.

The invention features compositions and methods treating or preventing for age-related insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and related disorders. The method involves depleting fTreg cells with an anti-ST2 antibody to decrease age-related fTreg accumulation and restore insulin sensitivity, thereby treating age-related insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes and related disorders.

The present invention provides a method for diagnosing a disease or disorder selected from the group consisting of insulin resistance, a metabolic disorder, diabetes and pre-diabetes in a subject. The method comprises the step of determining the level of a compound represented by structural formula (VI):

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or a salt thereof. Compositions and method of making thereof are also described.

Described herein are inhibitors Transient Receptor Potential Canonical (TRPC) ion channels comprising TRPC4 protein and/or TRPC5 protein for use in combating obesity and other medical conditions including insulin resistance associated with Type II diabetes or development of Type II diabetes (pre-diabetes), metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Also disclosed is the use of the inhibitors for cosmetic purposes, such as cosmetic weight loss.

A system for detecting at least one pathology of a cat, said system being intended to be mounted in the vicinity of a cat litter and comprising at least one gas sensor configured to measure the amount of at least one gas representing a pathology of a cat, at least one alarm component configured to emit an alarm, and at least one electronic unit configured to activate the alarm component if the amount of measured gas is greater than a predetermined threshold.

The present invention relates to the field of autoimmunity. More specifically, the present invention provides compositions and methods useful for detecting autoantibodies. In one embodiment, a method for detecting autoantibodies to ZnT8 comprises the steps of (a) contacting in a first mixture a biological sample obtained from a patient with a ZnT8-antibody complex, wherein the ZnT8-antibody complex comprises ZnT8 and at least one detectably labeled anti-ZnT8 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof that specifically binds to the cytoplasmic domain of ZnT8; (b) contacting in a second mixture the first mixture of step (a) with an immunoglobulin G (IgG) labeled with a tag molecule; (c) contacting the second mixture of step (b) with a solid substrate coated with a capture molecule that specifically binds the tag molecule; and (d) detecting a signal emitted from the detectably labeled anti-ZnT8 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof.

Biomarkers for abnormal kidney function, including the biomarkers in Tables 1 and 2 such as peroxiredoxin-2, complement C1q subcomponent subunit B, sulfhydryl oxidase 1 and apolipoprotein A-IV, and methods for their use in assessing abnormal kidney function are disclosed herein.

A method of reducing blood glucose in a subject has been developed. In preferred embodiments, the method involves administering to the subject a specific activator of endogenous mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 (MKK3), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 (MKK4), mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 6 (MKK6), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), mitogen-activated kinase-activated protein kinase 2 (MK2), or a combination thereof, in an effective amount to reduce blood glucose in a subject. In other embodiments, the method involves administering to the subject a specific activator to increase X-box binding protein 1 (XBP1) phosphorylation on Thr48 and Ser61 in an effective amount to reduce blood glucose in the subject. Methods of identifying agents for reducing blood glucose in a subject are also provided.

A method for evaluating or selecting an agent for suppressing GIP level elevation, comprising the following steps (A) to (D): (A) contacting a test substance with a mammal-derived tissue or cell capable of expressing an FABP4 gene or FABP5 gene, or an FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein; (B) measuring an expression level of the FABP4 gene or FABP5 gene, an expression level of the FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein, or an activity of the FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein in the mammal-derived tissue or cell; (C) comparing the expression level or activity measured in the above (B) with an expression level of an FABP4 gene or FABP5 gene, an expression level of an FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein, or an activity of an FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein in a control group; and (D) evaluating or selecting a test substance which reduces the expression level of the FABP4 gene or FABP5 gene, the expression level of the FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein, or the activity of the FABP4 protein or FABP5 protein as an agent suppressing GIP level elevation based on results of the above (C).

The present invention provides a method of measuring the levels of BCMA in a biological sample, specifically upon the B cell surface. The diagnostic assays are useful in predicting an individual's likelihood of developing or currently suffering from an autoimmune disease, such as SLE, and for methods for treating an individual clinically diagnosed with an autoimmune disease. This diagnostic test serves to predict a patient's likelihood to respond to a specific drug treatment, in particular treatment with BLyS antagonists, either singly or in combination with other immune suppressive drugs.